Traditionally, in-line roller skates and ice skates generally include an upper shoe portion secured by a base to a frame that carries wheels or an ice blade. The upper shoe portion provides the support for the skater's foot, while the frame rigidly attaches the wheels or blade to the boot. Typically, the shoe portion is rigidly attached to an upper portion of the frame by a plurality of fasteners extending through the frame and into the sole of the shoe. Rigidly attaching the shoe portion to the frame requires the skater to have a second set of footwear to wear before and after skating or, because of other restrictions, the skater is unable to wear skates. Thus, a skater is often burdened with carrying additional footwear for walking or other physical activity when the skates are not in use or are not allowed.
Prior attempts to eliminate the need for additional footwear include devices that prevent the wheels of an in-line roller skate from turning, thereby allowing the skater to "walk" in their skates. However, because the sole of the boot is rigidly fastened to the skate frame and the skate frame itself is typically a rigid member, the skate is unable to flex during walking motion and, therefore, results in an unnatural and uncomfortable walking motion for the wearer. Other attempts at eliminating the need for additional footwear have included a separate, flexible shoe portion that is sized to be cradled within a hard skate shell attached to a frame. To attach the skate shell to the shoe, a skater inserts the shoe portion into the skate shell and fastens the shoe therein using a plurality of straps or similar fasteners. While a separate shoe portion insertable into a hard skate shell eliminates the need for additional footwear, the shoe is free to twist and bend within the skate shell, leading to less control in operation and an accompanying loss of safety. Additionally, fastening the shoe within the skate shell requires multiple adjustments to achieve, if possible, the desired alignment and tension on the shoe.
Still other attempts at eliminating the need for additional footwear have resulted in semi-flexible shoes that are detachable from a skate frame. Currently, these shoes have a relatively flexible upper shoe portion attached to a semi-rigid sole. A rigid highback extends upwardly from the heel portion of the sole and partially surrounds the ankle of the user. The semi-flexible shoe is securable to the frame by an over center cam latch that attaches to a complementary lip on the back of the upper shoe portion, thereby securing the shoe to the frame. Although the over center cam latch results in a more secure fastening of the shoe to the frame, the shoe, when removed from the frame, is still an uncomfortable shoe to walk in because of the semi-rigid sole and rigid highback. The external over center cam latch is also bulky and cumbersome to use.
Thus, there exists a need for a skate that has a flexible shoe portion and a detachable skate frame, such that the shoe portion is comfortable to walk in when removed from the skate frame and may be rigidly attached to the skate frame without undesirable movement of the shoe portion relative to the skate frame.